Tag Archives: Department of Health and Humans Services (HHS)

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

A Michigan oncologist is accused of deliberately misdiagnosing patients with cancer so he could allegedly administer chemotherapy treatments and bill the government for those treatments, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). For more than two years the oncologist allegedly billed Medicare for $35 million in fraudulent claims. The oncologist was charged on August 19, 2013, with one count of Medicare fraud, according to the DOJ.

On top of submitting false claims to Medicare, a criminal complaint alleges a number of other serious charges. These include hiring doctors who may not have been properly licensed to practice medicine, administering controlled substances to patients at dangerous levels, and delaying hospital care for a patient with serious injuries, among others.

The complaint is allegedly based on interviews with several nurse practitioners, medical assistants and another doctor who worked for the oncologist at Michigan Hematology Oncology Centers (MHO), according to the DOJ. These whistleblowers allegedly approached federal authorities with this information.

We are aware of similar stories regarding dermatologists misdiagnosing lesions as cancer. Some of these have been widely publicized in media reports, television news and magazine stories, such as “American Greed.”

Whistleblowers Come Forward with Serious Charges Against Oncologist.

The oncologist’s employees allege the doctor submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary services, including chemotherapy treatments, Positron Emission Tomograph (PET) scans, and a variety of cancer and hematology treatments for patients who did not need them. According to an article in Time, the complaint also alleges the oncologist administered unnecessary chemotherapy to patients in remission, deliberately misdiagnosed patients as having cancer to justify unnecessary cancer treatment, and administered chemotherapy to end-of-life patients who would not have benefitted from the treatment.

The criminal complaint also alleges, according to Time, that the oncologist distributed controlled substances to patients without medical necessity and employed foreign doctors who might have been unlicensed to practice medicine in the U.S.

According to Time, the complaint also cited one case in which the oncologist’s patient fell and hit his head at the oncologist’s office, and was told he needed chemotherapy before he could be taken to the hospital. The patient allegedly later died from the head injury.

According to Detroit News, the oncologist could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 criminal fine if convicted. The oncologist has entered a not guilty plea in this case. At this point, these accusations are just that, allegations. A check of the oncologist’s license status from the Michigan Department of Health (DOH) shows that his license is active.

From our review of qui tam cases that have been unsealed by the government, it appears most of these are filed by physicians, nurses or hospital staff employees who have some knowledge of false billing or inappropriate coding taking place. Normally the government will want to see some actual documentation of the claims submitted by the hospital or other institution. Usually physicians, nurses or staff employees have access to such documentation.

Attorneys with The Health Law Firm also represent health care professionals and health facilities in qui tam or whistleblower cases both in defending such claims and in bringing such claims. We have developed relationships with recognized experts in health care accounting, health care financing, utilization review, medical review, filling, coding, and other services that assist us in such matters. We have represented doctors, nurses and others as relators in bringing qui tam or whistleblower cases, as well.

To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

Comments?

Individuals working in the health care industry often become aware of questionable activities. Often they are even asked to participate in it. In many cases the activity may amount to fraud on the government. Has this ever happened to you? Please leave any thoughtful comments below.

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

By Lance O. Leider, J.D., The Health Law Firm, and George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

It’s no surprise that the government is aggressively pursuing Medicare fraud. Recently, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Inspector General (OIG), made a surprising discovery. An audit uncovered that more than three-quarters (3/4) of all Medicare claims for the breast-cancer drug Herceptin were billed incorrectly, according to Modern Healthcare. This was found during an audit conducted on physicians and hospitals from around the country between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2010.

Three different audits were released to the public by the HHS OIG. All of these audits showed roughly the same information. Health care providers have been billing Medicare for full multiuse vials of the drug Herceptin, when patients actually only need a smaller portion. Medicare does not pay healthcare providers for any part of the drug that is discarded, because it can be preserved for up to 28 days and reused. The auditors suggest that payment from Medicare for an entire multiuse vial is likely to be incorrect. We saw a similar situation with the drug Avastin and Lucentis being used by ophthalmologists several years ago.

The results of the audits were released in January 2013. One audit found eighty-five percent (85%) of 1,073 Herceptin vials used in Ohio and Kentucky were billed incorrectly. In Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin, the government auditors found that seventy-eight (78%) of 713 claims investigated were wrong. The overpayment amount was around $682,000, for these audits.

Florida’s District Found to Have Overcharged 78% of Bills.

According to the report, HHS auditors found overcharges in seventy-eight percent (78%) of bills for 1,330 vitals of Herceptin submitted to First Coast Service Options, Inc. This company serves as the Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) for HHS District Nine, which primarily includes providers in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The overcharges for Herceptin were $1,325,409.

In the report, the government recommends that First Coast Service Options, Inc., do a number of things. The first is to recover the more than one million dollars in overpayments. It’s also recommended that First Coast Service Options, Inc., implement system edits that review multiuse vial drugs that are billed with units of service equivalent to the dosage of an entire vial. The government also suggests that these audit results be used as an educational tool for teaching correct billing practices to physicians and hospitals.

Remember, there is no such thing as a “routine” Medicare audit. The fact is that if you find yourself or your practice at the center of a Medicare audit, there is some item you have claimed as a Medicare provider or the amount of claims Medicare has paid in a certain category that has caused the audit. We’ve come up with a list of actions that we use and recommend you take when responding to a Medicare audit. Click here to view that list.

Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late; Consult with a Health Law Attorney Experienced in Medicare and Medicaid Investigations.

The best time to respond to and defeat an allegation of overpayment is at the very beginning. That is why it is essential that you obtain qualified counsel to help you through the process. The attorneys of The Health Law Firm represent healthcare providers in Medicare audits, ZPIC audits and RAC audits throughout Florida and across the U.S. They also represent physicians, medical groups, nursing homes, home health agencies, pharmacies, hospitals and other healthcare providers and institutions in Medicare and Medicaid investigations, audits, recovery actions and termination from the Medicare or Medicaid Program.

About the Authors: Lance O. Leider is an attorney with The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Avenue, Altamonte Springs, Florida 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.